Various methods are disclosed in the prior patent art where natural fruit, singly or in combination, is used as an ingredient for a food product which has a fruit-like flavor, or fruit-like characteristics. A number of the prior art patents are listed and discussed below but the list should not be regarded as exhaustive.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,296, Lugay et al., discloses a method of making simulated fruit pieces to be combined in breakfast cereals. The moisture content in breakfast cereals is generally about two percent to three percent, and when a particulate fruit product is mixed into the breakfast cereal and stored for a period of time (four to eight weeks), the fruit's moisture level drops below ten percent, which makes the fruit hard and difficult to eat. The objective of the process in this patent is to make the fruit pieces so that the dry food product in the cereal/fruit mixture can have a moisture content as low as two percent, and yet the fruit pieces maintain softness. The fruit pieces have the following recipe:
Citric acid 0.3% to 1.0% Sodium citrate 0.1% to 0.4% Glycerol 15% to 30% High fructose solids or other 5% to 35% sweetening compositions such as crystalline fructose
The above weights are given as percentage of the total fruit piece.
The solid portion is prepared separately from the liquid portion, and consists of the fruit solids and other optional ingredients, such as color, flavor, etc. The ratio of the fruit solids to liquid is approximately one to one, but could vary between 9.8 to 1 or 1.1 to 1.
The liquid portion is heated to temperatures of 60.degree. to 100.degree. C. and preferably 90.degree. to 95.degree.. Then the liquid and solid portions are mixed about one to four minutes. The mixture is then shaped, typically by running it through an extruder or a pasta machine to form it into ropes or strands. The rope is permitted to cool and then is cut into pieces. A suitable non-stick coating can be used.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,245, Bouillette et al., shows a method of making a food product which is in pieces or lumps of reconstructed fruit. Two different mixtures are placed in two storage tanks. In storage tank No. 1, there is basically a fruit concentrate, made up of a fruit puree, crystal sugar, an alcohol constituent (high percentage of alcohol), trisodic citrate and possibly citrate acid. The second tank contains sodium alginate, anhydrous dicalcic phosphate, crystal sugar and water. The mixtures from the two tanks are blended into a mixture and discharged into chunks or pieces which then harden to make the final product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,172, Bradshaw et al., describes a process for forming a fruit product which has an interior fluid or plastic simulate core and a relatively hard exterior shell. Thus, this simulates natural fruit products such as gooseberries, grapes, cherries, or black currants. First, a fruit pulp or puree is provided, and this forms 25% or more by weight of the total mixture.
An alginate sol is prepared by mixture of sodium alginate (1.5 parts), sugar (8.5 parts) and water (40 parts). The sodium alginate and sugar are mixed dry and water is added.
Then a puree mix is prepared (in this case, a gooseberry puree) by providing:
 Gooseberry puree 35 parts Sugar 10 parts Coloring and flavoring agents 0.5 parts Water 4.5 parts
The alginate sol and gooseberry puree are mixed in equal proportions and then extruded into a trough containing a solution of the following:
 Calcium lactate penta-hydrate 5 parts Sugar (or the like) 20 parts Lactic acid 1 part Water 74 parts
The alginate sol and fruit mixture is extruded through apertures that open directly into the calcium lactate solution. On extrusion, a skin of calcium alginate is formed around each extruded piece. The pieces take a rounded shape similar to gooseberries, and are deposited on a conveyor belt which carries them through the trough. After ten minutes, the pieces are removed from the calcium lactic acid solution, and they have an exterior surface that is thick and strong enough to withstand piling into a container. The pieces are then put into an aqueous syrup. After standing for one half hour, the pieces are heated to 90.degree. C. (steam kettle) in the aqueous syrup for a short period of time to prevent the core from becoming fin and are then canned while still hot.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,360, Sheath, discloses a process of making simulated soft center fruit pieces, rather similar to the Bradshaw et al. patent noted immediately above. Both of these patents are assigned to Lever Brothers Company of New York. In this patent, there is first provided a fruit pulp mix containing calcium iron. In the example given, this is as follows:
 Percentage by Weight Black Currant Pulp 41.1 Water 42.8 Calcium lactate 1.1 Citrate Acid 0.2 Sugar 12.7 Cross Linked Farina 1.7 Carboxymethyl cellulose 0.5
As a separate ingredient, an alginate sol containing two percent by weight of sodium alginate is prepared.
The patent shows an apparatus for forming this product where fruit puree droplets 10 are discharged through a center tube 2. There is a surrounding chamber 7 at the outlet end of the tube 2, and this chamber contains alginate sol. A pneumatic pulsator is attached to a line 4 that communicates with the interior of the tube 2, and this causes drops of the fruit puree to drop off the end of the tube 2. Because of the surrounding alginate sol solution, a coating 11 surrounds the fruit puree droplet 12. Droplet 12 falls into a bath 10 which is a three percent by weight aqueous solution of calcium lactate. The drops 12 remain in this bath for about five minutes and a firm exterior is formed, and the stickiness of the outer surface is eliminated. It is stated that when this particular product is canned in an aqueous syrup and sterilized at 130.degree. C. for 30 minutes, the simulated black currants that are formed have a texture remarkably similar to real cooked black currants.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,682,654, Johnson, relates to a process for forming artificial food pieces which simulate products having actual fruit therein. Johnson discloses that artificial berries containing a liquid center can be simply prepared by merely encompassing an aqueous solution containing flavoring and a gel setting agent capable of causing an aqueous solution of hydrophillic colloid to set up by such a hydrophillic colloid solution. Since the interior of the berry does not contain the material capable of being set up, the surface film or skin is formed from the inside out and the center or interior remains liquid. The invention provides unique artificial flavored berries which find use as additives to various foods including ice cream, cakes, pastries, muffins, pies, sauces, jams, candies and the like.
In practising the invention, two aqueous solutions are made. The first comprises water, flavoring and a gel setting agent capable of causing the hydrophillic colloid in the second solution to set up and form a skin around portions or droplets of the first solution. The second solution comprises water and a hydrophillic colloid capable of being set up by the gel setting agent.
The temperature of the water in the first solution is at about 1215.degree. F., while the temperature of the water in the second solution is at about 200.degree. F. Individual droplets of the first solution are dropped into the second solution and allowed to remain in the second solution for about one-half to two minutes. The resulting artificial flavored berry product is then removed from the second solution. The product has a continuous skin or encasement and a liquid center which remains as such for extended periods of storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,785, Oelsner, discloses a method for the manufacture of jams and marmalades. From the charged products of fruit, glucose syrup or crystallized sugar, a component of fruit and glucose syrup which is smaller in comparison with the total quantity of charged products, is removed and boiled down separately for concentration, while the remaining component of charged products from the larger percentage of fruit and sugar is mixed with powdered or aqueous pectin and, in dependence of the solubility of the pectins, the separately inspissated component is mixed with the remaining component of fruit and sugar and the mixture is heated under pressure or vacuum to from 95.degree. C. to 110.degree. C. and, subsequent to the addition of an acid at gelatinization temperature, the product is filled into jars or the like.
The prior art also discloses various systems for forming an extruded food product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,547, Liggett, shows a means for forming a fishing bait from an alginate mix. The bait mix is exposed to a fluid that causes the alginate to form a skin on a droplet. In FIG. 4, the bait material is ejected by a pulsating pump so that ridges are formed as the material solidifies. If the pump does not pulse, a smooth sided product is formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,704, McCarthy et al., shows a means for ejecting a food product from a valve structure as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, into a mold.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,737,328, Schumann, shows a system in which a confection is dropped from a holder 12, to a conveyor belt where it hardens. An oscillating wire structure on the bottom of the holder 12 forms the material into droplets.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,478, Minor et al., discloses a means to form pellets of ice cream by extruding the material onto a conveyor belt. Cutting wires 24 that oscillate cut the material being extruded into required lengths.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,099, Tiemstra, shows pectin containing gelled products wherein the gelling is delayed for an enhanced length of time. This is adequate to permit the deposition or filling of the formulation into molds or containers before gelling proceeds. The products and method by which they are prepared more efficiently use pectin in a delayed gelation process by allowing setting at the optimum gelling pH in order to prepare final products of a desired gel strength with minimal quantities of pectin. A delayed-action or time-release acidulant is used in the method and is incorporated into the formulations and products of this invention, such acidulants including anhydrides, esters, lactones, and combinations thereof.